There are many people today, both lay people and professional people, educated and uneducated who reject the authenticity of the first eleven chapters of the Book of Genesis. For them it is strategic to hold that position because then they may accept evolution, especially of the “human races”, reject any form of sin, evil and wickedness, ignore the fall of man into sin and ultimately, reject belief in the existence of God and Him creating all things that exist. For Bible believing Christians, belief in Genesis 1 to 11 as Scripture (fully inspired, infallible, inerrant and authoritative) is strategic because it helps us understand the existence of God, His creation of one human race, man’s fall into sin, our terrible condition before a Holy God and the consequences of present and future punishment demonstrated in the Universal Noahic Flood, with the wonderful promise of something beautiful to follow for the people of God depicted in the rainbow, pointing to eternal glory. Everything rejected today relating to Genesis 1-11 has been rejected in principle by many through the years of man’s existence. Let’s read again:
Ac 17:25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
1) God does not depend upon man.
Ac 17:25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.
This is very interesting. Paul has just told them who this unknown God is … the Creator and Sustainer of all things, who is Lord of heaven and earth … now he says that God is not dependent on man as He does not require any help from man to exist, hold His creation in place or care for it. He is capable of doing all that alone. If that is not enough … those idols were worshipped. “To exist they need worship!” Now here is the mind boggling thing … God exists and can exist without the worship of man! He calls for man to worship Him but He does not need man to worship Him or for Him to exist! Why would He need our worship when He has:
Rev 5:11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Even having this, He does not need it to exist, but out of thankful praise for Him being so worthy is He worshipped by the hosts of heaven! This needs to be our take because if we ever think we could assist God with anything we are so wrong. He does not need us … we need Him and our need of Him requires we serve Him as His blood washed children. To complete ourselves … to progress in holiness and blamelessness … to realize God’s predestined end for us … to conform to the likeness of the lord Jesus Christ … we need to love, serve and obey Him. We need Him! So we worshipped and adore Him.
2) Man must depend upon God. Many live life on this earth as though they don’t need God. They block Him out of their mind and existence … but that does not delete God! He is and He exists and they and everyone else needs Him for without Him there is no life … not on earth or anywhere else!
Ac 17:25 because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
These words refer back to God creating man:
Ge 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
We have discussed the creation of the human being … body and soul … Paul says … life and breath … but there is more … and everything else. The words “everything else” can mean “every kind”. Apart from man’s physical and spiritual existence, God provides everything for every person to exist. Whatever is needed for these two aspects of man, God provides. The spiritual side is mostly rejected and replaced by idolatry and man believes that he can live like this … but the physical side is something else. Where and how do the produce from the field, orchards and vineyards come from? Where does all the meats eaten come from? Without God providing the seasons (rain, sun and wind … day and night), man would not exist and we are not even thinking of what the sea harvests, nor the earth (gold, silver, diamonds, platinum, coal, gas, oil, etc.). Understand that without God, there would be no atmospheric pressure or forces of gravity … and the earth will not spin on its axis, neither would the various planets orbit the way they do … and should all this cease, man shall not exist. Everything would be chaos as it was in the opening words of the Bible. Christian … thank God for His good provision to you. He does provide for all mankind in a general way but in a specific way He provides for the every need of each of His people, according to what He deems good for us.
3) God created one set of parents. There was one Adam and one Eve, the parents of the human race.
Ac 17:26 From one man he made every nation of men.
Today this is rejected by evolutionist. Although evolution has many interpretations, the father of it is Charles Darwin. He had no fossil evidence to support his hypothesis for human origins, yet he inferred that humans evolved in Africa with the closest living relatives being chimps and gorillas … who were only found in Africa. Without going further, this tells you how evil evolution is! Paul says God made every nation of men (humans) from one man … that is Adam! We can fight about is as much as we like, but to believe in more than one race (many Adams and Eves) or evolutions many races is decidedly unbiblical and a real affront and attack on the creativity and beauty of God in Genesis chapter 1. God made the earthly race through one man … Adam. God recreated an eternal race through one man … Jesus Christ.
Our glorious God and Father … You are amazing … glorious in holiness, magnificent in creativity and awesome in wisdom. What is man that You are mindful of him? As we consider You making billions of people who are present on the earth now, with many more billions having died since the first man, we are staggered at our many differences, yet we believe, according to Your Word, each one descends from the same original parents. What is even more mind boggling is that You have from these billions upon billions of people made a Kingdom for Your Son Jesus to be with Him eternally. Thank you that I am part of this new people in Jesus. Amen.